I'm considering a Micromoog for sale but not sure of it's the best move. It looks good, but I'm not sure all the electronics are working 100% I can tweak knobs and move sliders, but response seems a bit slow - especially in keys and the pitch touchstrip. 1 slider is missing & 1 is loose; 1 knob is way loose. It also sounds like some static is coming over the line - not just scratchy pots but in signal as well. On the other hand it sounds gritty and can get freaky! The seller wants $475, but IMHO it will need some work by a tech before all functions are working properly.

On the other hand, I came across a Little Phatty Tribute (w/o the CV mod) for a good price & in like-new condition. Yep, 2 stable VCOs instead of one that's probably unstable, but doesn't have some of the modulation options nor sound as unruly out of the gate.

Which would you get? Would you go for vintage & built-in modulation in need of repair, or choose modern stability with room to expand (with the CV mod)?

meatballfulton wrote:$475 plus ongoing maintenance for a 35 year old synth with less features than the LP?

Not a good choice in my opinion.

My thoughts exactly. I know I'm a LP partisan (in the past I've gone so far as to say it's - for me - the best synth I've ever owned), but I can't see one giving up anything other than some extra dollars by springing for the LP instead of the Micro.

get the micro if you're obsessed with crusty raw vintage tone...and ONLY because of that. or because it's cheap.be sure you have access to a tech that can fix the micro. and you'll probably find a MIDI-to-CV converter useful.and reasonably fast programming skills to overcome the lack of presets.

Ideally you get both 'cause they sound different enough - you won't care that they're the same badge. they're different eras and only things they share in common in their parts is a Moog brand, afaik.

Seems like a no-brainer to me, the LP sounds fantastic and is going to be reliable for years to come, the Micro is going to be a royal headache and you're gonna spend ages wishing you got the LP when the Micro is off getting repaired and you can't use it.

My experience with Moogs is that if you get one with problems, it will always have problems. I know that isn't particularly scientific, but that's been my experience.

As for the Micromoog, everyone is quick to dismiss it... but it is absolutely bursting with really cool and relatively uncommon functionality. It is not a simple synth, and it makes a diversity of sound which blows away pretty much any other cheap vintage 70s monosynth (yes, even some with two oscs). It is a fantastic synth, and there is more to it than just it's admittedly gorgeous big warm fat (which can get really distorted) tone.

But yeah, I'd have to agree regarding the LP in this instance. Don't buy a synth with a lot of problems unless it's really cheap and you have a good tech. And whether you would want an LP over a Micro depends on what you're looking for in sound and functionality.

‎"I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question." -Charles Babbage"Unity and Mediocrity are forever in bed together." -Zane W. http://www.youtube.com/automaticgainsay

Automatic Gainsay wrote:My experience with Moogs is that if you get one with problems, it will always have problems. I know that isn't particularly scientific, but that's been my experience.

I agree it's not scientific, and yet that advice rings true for so many things.... certainly in this case.

Automatic Gainsay wrote: As for the Micromoog, everyone is quick to dismiss it... but it is absolutely bursting with really cool and relatively uncommon functionality. It is not a simple synth, and it makes a diversity of sound which blows away pretty much any other cheap vintage 70s monosynth (yes, even some with two oscs). It is a fantastic synth, and there is more to it than just it's admittedly gorgeous big warm fat (which can get really distorted) tone.

And anyone who disagrees should check out your YouTube video. That's the primary reason I got interested in this one for sale!

But yeah, since this Micro has issues I should pass. The LP is an opportunity buy & doesn't seem to have a downside. I will be on the lookout for another Micromoog though...

Christopher, Shaft & Stab, your advice sounds spot-on. The seller got the Micro for next to nothing; if I were in his shoes I would spend the bucks to restore what could be a great instrument - if I had a good tech.

But in my shoes as the buyer, it's hard to justify this particular Micro when there's a perfectly good LP on offer for a great price.